Time Management

Battling the Blinking Light

June 30, 2010

 

Last week I wrote about the importance of periodically turning off electronic devices. In our thoroughly wired 24/7 world, it seems everyone, ranging from the tiniest tot to the crankiest client, craves a little face-to-face attention.
 
Get ready for the latest development: Your firm or company’s HR department may now insist you turn your BlackBerry off.
 
For this turn of events we can thank the employees of AT&T. First, the provider of mobile electronic devices sells everyone and their brothers BlackBerrys and the wireless Internet service that keeps us interconnected non-stop. Then, some of the company’s employees turn around and sue their employer seeking back-wages for off-the-clock-hours spent responding to work-related e-mails on their company-issued devices.
 
It seems more employees feel their employers expect them to stay connected around the clock. One survey found three of every ten employees feel they must stay connected to internal and external clients throughout the day. Another survey undertaken by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 63 percent of workers with PDAs felt those tools required them to spend more hours on work-related issues.
 
Employment lawyers may yet ensure we all can enjoy a respite from the red blinking light. Increasingly they advise employers to establish specific HR policies regarding the use of electronic devices. Those policies may include limiting the days and hours in which employees are required to respond to the latest e-mail or text message.
 

Hang tight folks. We may yet get our weekends back!


 




 



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